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Garrison Fish & Game Club Youth Fishing Derby a Hit
By Cris Golde
 | | Three young boys intently try their fishing luck at the Garrison Fish and Game Club pond during the derby |
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Seventy-one area youngsters, accompanied by their parents, participated in the annual Charles Polhemus youth fishing derby at the Garrison Fish & Game Club pond, also known as Earl's Pond, on June 10. The kids had a friendly competition in age brackets from 5 and under on up to 13- and 14-year-olds to catch as many sunfish, bass and pickerel as they could with the minnow and worm bait supplied by the club.
Many of the youngsters were seasoned pros but others were fishing for the first time and were delighted to catch that first fish, a thrill that they and their parents will always remember. Over 100 fish were caught, the majority being bass up to two pounds in weight. Fishing tackle and a lot of free advice were loaned by Garrison Fish & Game Club members who seemed to have as good a time as their guests. A first time addition to this year's fishing derby was a volunteer club photographer (Chuck Roda) who snapped photographs, printed them out immediately and presented them to the participants' parents.
Near the end of the derby hamburgers, hot dogs, soda, chips and an ice cream bar were eagerly consumed - all the food groups any youngster could wish for to make it a perfect day. Tackle boxes and rod/reel combos were awarded as prizes in the various age categories
Garrison Fish & Game Club past president Jim Barry organized the derby this year. Jim said, "I want to thank all the volunteers from the club for all their efforts and I especially want to thank Foodtown for donating much of the food, Westchester Sports in Buchanan for their assistance in making the bait and prizes available and Lowe's for supplying the buckets the youngsters used to carry their fish in." When Jim Barry asked the participants if they want to come back next year there was a unanimous shout, "Yes!"
Garrison Fish & Game Club sponsors other youth activities throughout the year. They have sponsored the local scouting troops for camp-outs and dinners since the club's inception in 1947. This year there have been DEC approved hunter education courses for both bow and firearms at the club house. The next firearms hunter safety course will be available in August. Consult the DEC Web site for sign up. Garrison Fish & Game Club also encourages junior memberships.
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